Do you love hiking? I do. So much. Fresh air, rocks, dirt, lakes, trees and so many AWESOME smells—what’s not to love? There’s another reason I love it. I love it because my family is so happy when we go. The other day by the camp dock I stopped to think about why that is. (It is a very good place to stop and wonder.) When we are in our house sometimes everybody is going bonkers. Does that happen in your house? So and so stepped on so and so’s stuffed animal, someone is STARVING and can’t wait for dinner, someone else always needs to know what’s next (what are we are doing after dinner, tomorrow, this weekend, next year,) he says STOP, she says I didn’t do anything… I mean it’s just sometimes. I don’t want to give you the wrong impression. But that sometimes can feel like a really long time. Sometimes.
Anyway, when my family hikes with me everyone is NOT going bonkers. My littlest sister sings like she is a character in an enchanted forest play, my brother darts to and from rocks making sure not to touch the “lava” on the ground, and my big sister climbs anything she can find because she loves seeing the world from all different points of view. Me? I put one paw in front of the other, feel the earth, mud, or rock beneath my feet and I’m happy. A lot of times my sisters and brother and parents will sit in a perfect spot with me and tell me what a good dog I am. And then they talk about how beautiful everything is (usually with a lot of detail) and how great it feels to be wherever we are. That’s the secret I think. To not going bonkers, I mean. Be happy where you are.
When you come to Adirondack Woodcraft Camps we will hike together and be happy. I can’t wait!
Love, Margo
In the pictures you see Margo hiking Bald Mountain which is just North of Old Forge, NY. The trail head to Bald Mountain is just two and half miles from Adirondack Woodcraft Camps and is a favorite “home” hike with several gorgeous viewpoints of the Fulton Chain of Lakes and a historical fire tower at the summit. View Post

Peter Diller was a camper at Woodcraft for many years. He started in Outpost, moved up through Iroquois Village and Ranger Post, and won the Chief’s Knife as a Trail Camper in 2012. The following year Peter participated in the Outdoor Leadership Training Division program and returned as a junior counselor in 2014. This journal entry and those to follow detail how his time spent at Woodcraft helped provide him the necessary experience to embark on a solo excursion in Olympic National Park. View Post

We are sad to share that Dave Leach has passed away. One of the defining members of Woodcraft for several decades, Dave was also a committed husband, father, brother, uncle, friend, coach, educator, and so much more. View Post

The Triple Swimmer is a patch awarded to campers who compete a series of challenging endurance swims. Woodcraft's swimming program is designed to strengthen campers' comfort and abilities in the water, and for many campers this culminates with the Triple Swimmer. As the name implies, there are three parts to the Triple Swimmer. In each instance, the camper ventures outside of the designated swimming area while accompanied by a lifeguard rowing nearby. View Post